There she is!
by FlareonGirl1
Summary: In an alternate universe where the Uchihas are alive but are known as the trash of the village, the second son of the Uchiha patriarch struggles against the advances of Konoha's pink-haired sweetheart. Based off of the Korean clip series, "There she is!" by SamBakZa
1. There she is! Part 1

**A/N: Has anyone heard of/watched those short Korean clips, "There she is!" ? I love those clips. I recently watched them again and have fallen in love with them again. Obviously, that's what I'm going to base this story on... Anyways... If you _haven't _watched this series... GO AND WATCH IT RIGHT NOW! That is all. :) *Edited**

* * *

_~Step 1~_

He walked calmly and quietly through the crowded streets. Ninja and average citizens alike stormed their way through the crowd, hastily trying to reach their destinations without giving anyone so much as a second glance.

A day in the life of the hidden village.

The young man sighed. At least no one had recognized him.

_'Yet.'_ he thought, ever the pessimist.

Looking around, his cold and calculating obsidian eyes landed on a market stall.

May as well make the visit worthwhile.

Weaving his way through the crowd, he reached the aforementioned stall which was actually quite big. Making his way through the various displays of goods up for grabs, he finally found what he was looking for.

Tomatoes.

Contrary to popular belief, the second son of the matriarch from the Uchiha clan _did_ enjoy a going out every once in a while, even if it was just for some grocery shopping. He just didn't enjoy the fact that he would be constantly ridiculed and frowned upon.

Plus, they were out of_ tomatoes_. Everyone in the Uchiha clan and those who knew him personally should know that tomatoes were his favorite food. So upon finding the fruit, one could see a ghost of a smile on his face.

He instantly grabbed the best looking ones and paid for them. Just as he was about to bite into one of the juicy fruit, he sensed a flicker of chakra beside him. He took a glance and saw a girl, but did a double take upon noticing her unique and exotic appearance.

She had bright pink hair with startling emerald eyes which both stood out against her pale skin. The girl was having an animated conversation with the merchant who handed her some strawberries. She said her thanks and was about to walk away but froze, sensing someone staring at her. As she whirled her head in his direction, the young man quickly tried to form some hand seals to try and escape, but she quickly grasped his arm with abnormally fast reflexes.

_'A kunoichi? With a chakra signature that strong?' _he refused to believe it.

"Hey there!" she greeted cheerfully, a light blush dusting her cheeks.

"Hn."

"My name's Haruno Sakura, what's yours?"

Haruno Sakura.

He glanced at her hair. Then at her eyes.

_Spring field of cherry blossoms._

It fit her.

"You know, your name?" she clarified, noticing his lack of response.

"Hn. My name's…" he hesitated, but sighed and continued. "Sasuke."

"Sasuke…Hey wait a minute! I gave you my full name, so it's only fair that you give me yours!"

"Hn. No."

"What do you mean, no? And what does 'hn' mean anyway? Would you like it if _I_ just kept saying hn to you all the time? Well, HN to you too, Sasuke!" she huffed angrily.

He was about to reply, but suddenly his ears perked hearing some people from the crowd.

Great. He's already been found out.

"Whoa!" Sakura suddenly got up in his face. "Did your eyes just turn RED?!"

"No. Now stay away from me."

But Sakura continued to stare, and his eyes flashed red in irritation once more. "They did turn red! I knew it! Wait a minute…" she paused, making a realization. "It's pretty unusual for eyes to turn red like that… Hey, are you an Uchiha by any chance?"

Sasuke immediately turned away. "No, I'm not. Take your annoying little delusions and go bother someone else."

"I knew it! You _are_ an Uchiha!"

If their conversation didn't have everyone's attention before, it certainly did now.

"Keep it down!" he exclaimed, clamping a hand over her mouth. He then dropped it, sighing, realizing that his cover had been blown. His eye twitched at the many people _not so subtly_ staring and pointing at the two.

"Oh! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to draw such a big crowd! Need to keep up image and stuff, right? Here take my strawberry!" she babbled, stuffing the whole fruit into his mouth.

He chewed a bit, and swallowed the sweet, red fruit with a grimace. Now the villagers were staring at them wide eyed.

He knew what was exactly running through their minds.

_'Stupid Uchihas… They're a disgrace to this village.'_

Although he had no idea why, the Uchihas had always been considered an enemy to their own village. The Hokage had no intention of letting them go, however.

Nonetheless, the interrelationships of Uchihas, such as himself, and any other person had always been frowned upon in society. This interaction was no exception. All hell was and always would be bound to break loose.

"Here take another one!" Sakura shouted, shoving another fruit into his mouth.

And thus, all hell broke loose.

Roughly swallowing the strawberry, he made a split-second decision and hastily left the fruit stand, Sakura closely tailing him.

"H-hey! Wait up!" she cried. "I'm really sorry!"

Pumping chakra into his legs, Sasuke charged into a full sprint, determined to get away from the persistent girl. He only stopped once he was sure that he had reached the Uchiha Compound. On his way up to his room, he completely bypassed his older brother's greeting. Panting lightly, he shut his door.

_'Annoying girl…'_


	2. There she is! Part 2

**A/N: I highly recommend you watch There she is! By SamBakZa before reading this story, but it's up to you.**

* * *

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto._

* * *

_~Step 1~_

"Sasuke-kun, why don't you go out for a bit? You haven't been going out lately. Why is that?" Mikoto calls from the kitchen.

'_Well, okaa-san. I don't know. Maybe it's because there's a pink haired psycho who keeps stalking me?'_

First she followed him as he made his daily laps around the village.

"_Hey, fancy meeting you here, Sasuke! Since we're both here, why don't we run laps together?"_

Then she caught him when he was training.

"_I bet you totally didn't expect me to jump out of this crater! See it? I made it myself!"_

She found him the other day as he made his way to Ichiraku Ramen _and_ she ordered him his usual ramen.

"_Beef ramen, right Sasuke-kun?"_

And then there was that time he was practicing his chakra control by walking up the Hokage Monument...

"_Did I mention that my chakra control is one of the best in Konoha?"_

Shaking his head out of his reverie, Sasuke heads downstairs for some breakfast. Sitting down next to his brother, he gives him a curt nod and greets his parents good morning. He is content with just eating his breakfast while listening to his parents converse, until his mother decides to address him directly.

"Sasuke-kun, did you hear what I said earlier?"

"…Aa."

"So what do you plan on doing today?"

"Staying in the compound."

"Uchiha Sasuke, do you even understand what I said earlier?"

"You said I should go out. I am. I will train outside later, within the compound."

Sasuke's response was met with a dark glower. "Don't you sass me, young man. You know exactly what I meant by going out."

"Hn. Otou-san?" He prompts, hoping for some kind of help from his mother's wrath.

Fugaku just sighs and flips to another page in his newspaper.

"That settles it Sasuke! You're going out, whether you like it or not!"

And thus, Uchiha Sasuke, second son of the Uchiha patriarch, found himself kicked out of his clan's compound by his mother at 8:30 in the morning.

And he hadn't even finished his tomato.

* * *

Sighing, Sasuke slowly made his way to the third training ground. As he approached, he felt four chakra signatures, easily recognizing one as Sakura. As he suppressed his own, he decided to stick around and observe their training until they left.

"Sakura-chan! You didn't have to be so harsh!" A blonde yelled at his pink haired team mate.

"Quiet down Naruto! You're just upset that you didn't win. Now shut up, stay still, and let me heal you!"

'_Naruto…Uzumaki? Uzumaki Naruto? The jinchuriki of the kyubi?'_

"It would probably be best if you listen to ugly, dickless. I mean, she is a medical ninja after all. Although I do question her abil-"

"Shut up Sai! Do you need me to break your bones again? And this time I _won't_ heal them."

'_A medic nin, hm?'_ Sasuke muses, tucking away the information. _'Although, this "Sai" doesn't seem familiar.'_

"Now, now, children. No need to get all riled up, do we?" A silver haired man interfered.

Sasuke scrutinized the man for a while. _'That man…That's Hatake Kakashi! The one who has one of Obito's sharingan eyes!'_

"Or maybe I should call you Forehead Girl like Ino does?" Sai said, unknowingly riling Sakura up even more.

"That's it! Round two! I'm fighting Sai."

Her team mates knew better than to protest.

"You heard Sakura, boys. Last two matches of the day." Kakashi stated, taking a fighting stance at Naruto. "Whenever you're ready, Naruto."

It seems that Sakura has quite the team.

* * *

After about an hour, they had finally finished their fights and said their goodbyes, with only Sakura remaining in the area. It seemed she had no intention of leaving, so Sasuke sighed, prepared to leave his hiding spot and go elsewhere.

"Oi! Sasuke-kun, you can come out now, you know." Sakura called from her spot near the three stumps.

"So…you knew I was here the whole time." Sasuke said, slowly stepping out of his spot and into the clearing.

"Please Sasuke-kun, the whole team knew. You're just lucky we're polite enough to not point out your stalking."

"Hn."

"Ah! So you're not denying it either! So, why did you come here? Was it to see me, perhaps?"

"Tch. You wish."

"Whatever, Sasuke-kun."

"Believe what you want."

They stood there in an awkward silence.

"Hey Sasuke-kun, why don't we go on a date?"

"No."

Sakura, however, apparently was hard of hearing.

"We could take a walk around the village!"

"I run laps around the village daily."

"Or we could go dancing!"

"I don't dance."

"Then maybe we could feed the birds at the aviary?"

"I don't like animals."

"Or how about-"

Sasuke sighed and quickly made a clone before silently taking his leave once he was sure Sakura was distracted. He also made sure to get far away.

She would find him sooner or later.

* * *

As Itachi and Sasuke were on their way to get some senbei, they both felt a chakra signature approaching fast. Sensing no killing intent, they let their guards down just a bit. After a few seconds, Sasuke immediately recognized the signature and put his guard back up.

"Itachi, I'll meet you at the senbei shop. Tell oba-san and oji-san I'll be there later."

Itachi opens his mouth as if to question why, but immediately closes it based on the serious stare his brother gives him.

"As you wish, otouto."

And with that, Itachi went on his way to visit his aunt and uncle at Uchiha Senbei.

Seeing his brother walk into the distance, Sasuke quickly faced the impending enemy, only to turn away and start sprinting.

Haruno Sakura was a lot faster than he thought she was.

* * *

"Itachi-kun."

"Yes, Uruchi oji-san?"

"Where's Sasuke-kun?"

At that very moment, Sasuke ran past the shop with a pink blur tailing him.

"…Never mind."

* * *

**A/N: To clear some things up, Team 7 is Team 7 with Sai replacing Sasuke since the beginning, the third training ground is the place where the bell test took place, and Uchiha Senbei is a real store in the manga/anime. They sell senbei, a kind of rice cracker. Supposedly, the people there are Sasuke's aunt and uncle (Uruchi and Teyaki Uchiha), as he addresses them as oba-san and oji-san, but it's still not confirmed if this is merely out of respect or if they're really his aunt or uncle. Well…here, they are.**


	3. There she is! Part 3

**A/N: Wassup? School's starting again in a few weeks, and I want to try to update as much as I can before I get swamped in work again. Let's see how this goes… Thanks for all of the reviews! And yes, Raikiri80, Sakura really does like him. On a side note, who's read the latest Naruto chapter?  
MY BABIES ARE BACK.  
Ehem…**

**Now onto the story!**

* * *

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto._

* * *

_~Step 1~_

Sasuke lay in bed, mentally exhausted from yesterday's events.

'_She chased me around the whole village and only gave up because her mom called her back for dinner. I can't believe how annoying that girl is.'_

"Sasuke-kun! Come down here! There's a gift for you!" his mother called.

'_A gift?'_ he thought, getting up and walking downstairs.

To his annoyance, his whole family was seated at the kitchen table where the present, a gift basket filled with strawberries and tomatoes, was.

"Sasuke, what is the meaning of this?" his father asked.

"It seems that Sasuke has a new girlfriend." Itachi answers, remembering the ordeal he had witnessed yesterday.

"A _girlfriend_?" Mikoto squealed. "Oh Sasuke-kun, why didn't you say so? What's her name, what's she like?"

Itachi picked up a small card from the gift basket. "Haruno Sakura…?"

Quickly snatching the card from his brother, Sasuke read its contents.

_Hey Sasuke-kun!_

_Sorry I had to leave so suddenly yesterday, but you know, when a mom calls there's no ignoring her! So to make up for it I sent you some strawberries and tomatoes! I was originally only going to send you strawberries, but I remember you getting some tomatoes for yourself when we first met so…Here you go!_

_I hope you enjoy it!_

_-Haruno Sakura_

"Haruno Sakura…" Fugaku murmured.

"What a pretty name!" Mikoto exclaimed.

"Haruno…Now I remember!" Fugaku said, standing up.

"What is it, dear?" his wife questioned.

"That girl, Haruno Sakura, is the apprentice of the Godaime."

"Even better!" Mikoto exclaimed happily. "Sasuke-kun! You have to introduce me right away!"

But Sasuke wasn't listening at all.

'_Of course!' _Sasuke wanted to face palm himself. _'How could I have been so stupid? Why didn't I recognize her before? Why else would she have medical abilities as skilled as that?'_

He could handle all of the sudden approaches but now…things were different. _Now_, he realized he had the burden of dealing with Konoha's sweetheart.

'_Konoha's sweetheart and Konoha's trash, huh?'_ he though amusedly.

All of these interruptions have been really bothersome for him.

'_But this gift basket was the last straw.'_ Sasuke thought, staring at his family who were suddenly in deep conversation about his new 'girfriend'.

He really needed to talk to Sakura.

* * *

"So Sasuke-kun, why'd you call me out here? Pretty unusual…not that I mind." Sakura asked, genuinely confused as to why _he _was looking for _her_.

Sasuke sighed. Explaining this to her wouldn't be easy…

"Look, Sakura." Sasuke started, a bit unsure of himself. "You know, I'm an Uchiha, right?"

"Of course! Remember when we met?" Sakura said, giggling a bit. "Sorry I blew your cover there."

"Hn…" he grunted, feeling a bit uncomfortable talking about the incident. "And you _do _know about the Uchihas, right?"

"And why shouldn't I? The Uchihas are famous for their strength and all of the amazing shinobi in their clan!"

Sasuke snorted. _'Famous? More like _infamous_.'_

"Sakura, you're not getting the point."

"The point about what Sasuke? That you're an Uchiha? And that I'm the Hokage's apprentice?" Sakura snapped. "Look, Sasuke. I understand your concerns, but don't you think if I had a problem I would've left you alone by now?"

"Sakura-"

"No, Sasuke. Let me finish." She interrupted, giving him a sharp look. "You, Sasuke, are an Uchiha. The Uchiha have always been considered the outcasts in the village, kami knows why, and they're pretty much considered trash by the shinobi and the civilians."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes as she talked.

"But Sasuke, I know that there's more to your clan than just false beliefs of the village." Sakura turned to look at him. "I have a friend… I'm sure you've heard of him. Uzumaki Naruto."

Sasuke nodded.

"And I'm sure you've heard _about_ him."

Sasuke nodded again. A couple of years ago, before Orochimaru's attack on the village, the Sandaime had revealed Naruto's secret, with Naruto's consent, of course.

"Naruto…For as long as I can remember has _always_ been absolutely detested by the village. I didn't hate him, I just didn't understand. But I certainly didn't do anything to help him, either." She said, guilt evident in her eyes. "But it was especially bad back when we were in the academy. Come to think of it…You were in our class too, weren't you Sasuke? I'm sure you know what I'm talking about."

Images of a blonde haired kid getting beat up by a gang of students flashed before his eyes.

"Can you imagine it? Being beat up every day, receiving the constant glares of others, and he didn't even understand why." She continued, sitting down and leaning against a tree. "Then one day, after graduation day, he was told what he contained. The Nine-Tailed Fox."

At this point, Sakura was nearly in tears.

"But you know what? Naruto went on. He finally understood why the village hated him. They hated him because they believed that he _was_ the demon fox. And you know what's more? The Sandaime told him the entire truth. Listen up, Sasuke. I'm sure you'll want to hear this."

Sasuke straightened up a bit.

"On the night that Konoha was attacked by the kyubi, the Yondaime sacrificed himself to seal the fox, but in doing so, he had to seal the fox into another vessel. And that vessel was Naruto." She paused to take a few breaths. "But what's more…Naruto was the Yondaime's son."

Sasuke's eyes widened in shock.

"Imagine that! Having the kyubi sealed into you by your _own father_ to save the village. But the Hokage never expected this kind of outcome." Sakura grimaced.

"The Yondaime wanted Naruto to be known as a hero… Naruto _is_ a hero. But the villagers were…_are _convinced that he is a demon and he'll turn his back on us one day… But that's just the thing. Naruto _hasn't_ turned his back on us. He's loyal to the hidden leaf. Despite all that's happened to him, Naruto still keeps a smile on his face. He lives on and doesn't let it complicate his life. If anything, it makes him stronger."

Sakura turned to smile at Sasuke as he processed the information.

"I know what you're thinking. What does this have to do with what I was talking about earlier?"

She smiled wider.

"Well Sasuke, I know that you and Naruto are alike. People detest you, but you don't let it get to you. You strive to prove them wrong. But you, _both of you_, never turn back on your comrades. There's still good in you, no matter what the others may say about you. No matter how much they may mock or degrade you, you stand your ground and face them arms open instead of with weapons. I know it doesn't always show, but you have good in you Sasuke. There's _hope_… And as long as you have that, who cares what they think?"

"_That _is why I haven't given up on you."

Sakura suddenly got up and started to walk away.

"I'll see you some other time, okay Sasuke-kun?"

* * *

Sasuke slowly walked back to the compound, his emotions in a frenzy.

What right did she have to talk about him like that? What did she know? Why would-

"Oi! Uchiha!" a passerby called.

Sasuke ignored him, quickening his pace.

"What is it, Uchiha? You think you're too good to talk to me? Is that it?"

'_Ignore him. Ignore him. Ignore him. Ignore-'_

"So I heard you've been talking to that Haruno girl! What'd you have to get a girl like her to whore around with-"

The man fell as Sasuke swiftly delivered a punch to his face, sharingan glowing.

"What. Did. You. Say?" he growled.

"I said what did it take for a girl like her to-"

Sasuke tackled him and attacked him in a blind rage.

'_This is why she can't be involved…'_

* * *

**A/N: So it seems the Uchiha family are SasuSaku shippers~ Haha. Tell me what you guys think about this chapter. I'm not that good with serious stuff…**


	4. There she is! Part 4

**A/N: ****Thanks for reading, guys.**

***Edited**

* * *

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto._

* * *

_~Step 1~_

Sasuke couldn't believe he was doing this. But desperate times called for desperate measures, he supposed. With a grimace, Sasuke made his way towards the Hyuuga compound.

* * *

"And what exactly makes you think that _I _would help _you_ with this?" Neji asked, an incredulous look on his face.

"Because I know that you're Sakura's friend."

"…"

"_And_ I know for a fact that Hiashi has been pestering you about finding a decent woman."

"Tenten _is-_" the Hyuuga stops himself hastily, turning his head, face burning.

Sasuke raised an amused eyebrow.

"Alright…But just this once."

* * *

"Hello, Sakura-san." Neji greeted, approaching Sakura.

"Neji! Fancy seeing you here." Sakura smiled. "Would you like to take a seat?" she gestured to the vacant spot in front of her.

Neji sat down without a word.

"So what brings you here to this café?"

"Hn."

"Oh no, not this whole grunting thing again…" Sakura muttered.

"Excuse me?"

"Oh, nothing!" Sakura laughed nervously. "Nothing…"

The table was filled with an awkward silence.

"But seriously, what's up? It's not every day that one is graced with the presence of Hyuuga Neji." Sakura joked. "Perhaps you want to ask me out? But of course I already have someone…"

"Precisely." Neji cut in, before she could elaborate further.

"Wait, what?" Sakura blanched.

"Will you, Haruno Sakura, go out on a date with me, Hyuuga Neji?"

Sakura stared at Neji for a good two minutes, and started to laugh.

_Laugh._

The Hyuuga was appalled.

Taking notice, Sakura quickly ceased her laughter. "I-I'm sorry, Neji." Sakura tittered. "But are you serious?"

"Yes."

Sakura blinked.

"Oh."

Another silence overtook their table.

"Because I always thought you and Tenten had something going on, you know?"

Hyuuga Neji found himself blushing for the second time that day.

Staring at a spot behind Sakura, he seethed.

'_You owe me big time for this, Uchiha.'_

* * *

So the Hyuuga failed.

'_What to do now?'_ Sasuke thought, walking through the streets of Konoha.

After leaving the café upon witnessing Neji's failure, Sasuke left his hiding spot and got some lunch, then went for a walk to organize his thoughts.

However, his question was quickly abandoned upon noticing Sakura a few blocks ahead talking to a green spandex-clad shinobi.

"Good afternoon, Sakura-chan!" Lee shouted, grasping her hands.

"Y-yeah." She replied, eye twitching. "Good afternoon."

"And what brings you to the streets of Konoha on such a bright and wonderful day?" he bellowed.

"Um…you know…" Sakura replied, clearly not comfortable with this situation. "…Could you let go of my hands, Lee?"

Lee hastily lets go and bows. "I apologize, Sakura-chan! I never meant to offend my beautiful blossom! Please forgive me."

"Hold on, _your _blossom? Listen, Lee. I'm not yours."

"I have upset my cherry blossom!" he panics. "Please let me make it up to you, Sakura-chan!"

"Look, Lee-"

"Please accept my apology! And if you do not, I will do one hundred pushups! And if I fail to do one hundred pushups I will do two hundred sit-ups! The power of youth will help me as I-"

"Would you stop? How many times do I have to tell you? I'm not _yours_!" Sakura shouts. Upon noticing that Lee's ramblings still haven't stopped, she clenches her fist and sends him flying.

"I told you to quit it, alright? Stop with the blossom business and apologies!" she yells. "Shannaro!"

Sakura walks away from the scene, unaware of the civilians' stares, muttering things about "shannaros" and "youth".

* * *

That Lee guy really had it coming to him. But now it seemed that he had to find yet another plan.

As Sasuke walked through one of the training grounds of Konoha, he stumbled upon Konoha's resident lazy genius, Shikamaru.

'_One more try couldn't hurt…'_

* * *

And that was how Shikamaru found himself laying in Team Seven's training grounds instead of his usual spot.

"Mendokuse…" The Nara drawled, remembering the Uchiha's instructions of waiting for Sakura and convincing her to watch the clouds with him. He hoped it wouldn't take too long.

He had to meet up with Ino later, and kami knows how troublesome she gets when he's late.

"Shikamaru?"

Said Nara opened his eyes to the presence of one Haruno Sakura.

"Yo."

"…Not to be rude, but, what are you doing here?"

He shrugged his shoulders -as well as one could shrug their shoulders while laying down- and made a vague gesture with his hands.

"Watching the clouds, what else?"

"Ah, well…" Sakura looked a bit sheepish. "I was just about to train, and it would be pretty unfortunate if the ground underneath you suddenly collapsed or if a tree suddenly fell on you… So would you mind leaving?"

"Nah, I'm good."

"Oh, so do you want to join me?"

"Do _you _want to join _me_?"

"…Eh?"

'_What's with everyone today? First Neji, then Lee, and now this!'_ Sakura thought. _'Something's up…'_

Shikamaru sighed. "Do you want to watch the clouds with me?"

"No, I'm fine. But if you're going to stick around, I apologize in advance if something happens. Just come to me if you need something healed, alright?"

The Nara was already fast asleep.

* * *

'_Another unsuccessful attempt…'_ Sasuke thought, walking away from the training grounds to get some dinner.

What could he do now?

At least Sakura hadn't chased after him today.

"Sasuke-kun! ~"

Breaking out into a sprint, he cursed.

Looks like he spoke too soon.

* * *

**A/N: Seriously guys, watch There she is! You'll find the parallels really fast, and you'll understand what's happening better. And why I have this somewhat filler chapter.**


	5. There she is! Part 5

**A/N: Okay, so I've decided to keep this as one whole story. FINALLY FINISHED THE FIRST STEP~ I'm so happy right now. :)  
On a side note... LONGEST CHAPTER OF THE STORY SO FAR! :D**

* * *

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto._

* * *

_~Step 1~_

Waking up, Sasuke had an unsettling feeling. Shaking it off, he quickly went down, said his greetings, grabbed some tomatoes, and was on his way to the training grounds. As he trained, however, he couldn't help but get the feeling that something was…_wrong_.

* * *

It hit Sasuke smack in the face a couple of days later. He was buying tomatoes at the usual market stand after discovering there were no more at the house, and then it hit him.

_Sakura._

He hadn't seen Sakura at all the past week.

Before, he would've been praising kami for such mercy on his soul, but now…

Had she lied?

That whole speech about friendship and hope and his clan…After all of that she didn't have the guts to live up to what she said?

'_Tch. What do I care? The rumors probably got to her and she saw me for the filthy Uchiha-'_

"Oi. Sasuke!"

Sasuke turned, surprised at the voice addressing him so familiarly in public. "Shikamaru."

"Have you seen Sakura?"

"What makes you think that I've seen Sakura?"

"Well…She's been hanging around you lately so I thought…" Shikamaru shook his head. "Never mind."

"Tch. Strangely enough, I haven't seen her at all this week."

"Oh? You didn't know?"

"Know what?"

"Sakura and her team were sent on a two-day mission…" Shikamaru paused.

'_A two-day mission?' _Sasuke frowned.

Why didn't she tell him?

"But if you haven't seen her this _whole week_…" Shikamaru continued.

Sasuke's eyes widened a bit at the Nara's implication.

"I've gotta ask Tsunade-sama about this." Shikamaru let out a sigh. "Mendokuse…Sakura is making this so troublesome." He turned his back to Sasuke. "I'll see you around."

"Hn."

Perhaps he would pay the Godaime a visit as well.

* * *

"And what exactly have I done for you to grace me with your presence, Uchiha?"

Sasuke scowled.

"Okay, Uchiha, that's enough attitude. But seriously." Tsunade took a swig of sake. "What brings you here? I don't recall summoning for your presence."

"Sakura. Where is she?" he asked, feigning indifference.

Tsunade grinned. "Oho~ I see how it is." She said, leaning forward. "Don't think I don't know about you, Sasuke. Sakura talks about you _all_ _the time._"

"What Sakura talks about is none of my business." Sasuke said, a blush creeping onto his face.

"Oh, really now? So you're not concerned at all about where your girlfriend is?" Tsunade grinned even wider. Boy, was she getting a kick out of this. She was _so_ winning that bet with Jiraiya.

"Tch. I don't have to explain myself to you."

"So you don't deny she's your girlfriend?"

"She's not my girlfriend. Don't you think you've had enough to drink, Tsunade?"

"Oi!" she pounded her fist on the desk. "Show some respect for your Hokage!" The Godaime sighed and took a long swig of sake. "Look, since I can obviously tell you care about Sakura-"

Sasuke glared.

"I'll tell you what happened. I can't give you the _exact_ details, but it was just a C-rank. They had to deliver a package to a civilian village and they were unexpectedly ambushed on the way." she paused to take another swig of sake. "Team Seven rested at the civilian village for a couple of days where their squad leader, Kakashi, sent me a messenger hawk to inform me about what happened, and that they would leave the next day. They haven't been heard from since, but I assume that when they were on their way back, the same group of ninja intercepted them."

Sasuke was about to open his mouth to say something but he was cut off by Tsunade.

"Don't get your panties in a twist, Uchiha, I already sent some ANBU to search for them. But I wouldn't worry. I know my apprentice, and there's no way that this could scratch her. Dismissed."

Just as Sasuke opened the door, Tsunade's voice halted his actions.

"She's my apprentice too, you know? I worry about her as much as I'm sure that you do." She paused. "I'll send someone for you when she gets back."

"…Thank you, Hokage-sama."

* * *

Now all he could do was wait for Sakura.

_Hold on._

Sasuke stopped in his tracks.

_Wait_ for _Sakura_?

What was he, a lovesick puppy?

'_It's not like my life revolves around Sakura.'_

* * *

Sasuke cursed as he was a few blocks away from the compound.

He forgot about the tomatoes.

He was so focused on his conversation with Shikamaru that he forgot his favorite food! And he'd already paid for them too! Hastily making his way back to the stall, he hoped that no one took them. Or worse; the stall keeper could make him pay for them again. As he approached the stall, however, he was greeted with a warm smile, which made him a bit wary.

"Ah! Sasuke-san!" the stall vendor greeted.

Sasuke blinked.

Was he under a genjutsu?

Noticing the lack of response from the Uchiha, the vendor seemed a bit embarrassed. "Er…That _is_ your name, right?"

Sasuke nodded.

"You forgot your tomatoes from earlier! Lucky for you, I noticed before anyone could snatch them. Hold on, I'll go get them." The old man said, turning around to look through an array of paper bags. "Now where did I put them…?"

Sasuke was shocked. He was unused to such acts of kindness. It felt…refreshing.

"Aha! I found them!" the vendor said, holding out the bag of tomatoes to Sasuke. Sasuke however, seemed preoccupied with staring at the strawberries. "Look delicious, don't they?"

Sasuke turned to look at the man.

"Were you thinking of buying some for Sakura-san? You two seemed familiar with one another."

"…Sakura is an…acquaintance of mine." Sasuke said. "I first met her on that day that you are referring to."

"Really, now? Since she fed you her strawberries I was under the impression that…" he trailed off upon noticing Sasuke's stare. "I'm sorry, it's none of my business. Although, I'm not surprised. Sakura-san is a frequent customer, much like you, and I've gotten to know her pretty well. She's very friendly."

Sasuke nodded.

"Well, I suppose you have things to do Sasuke-san, I apologize for delaying you."

"Thank you for the tomatoes."

"No problem! Anything for a loyal customer!" he smiled, watching Sasuke walk away. "Oh! And there's a special something for you in the bag too! Enjoy, Sasuke-san!"

Opening the bag, Sasuke gave an amused smirk.

There was a small box of strawberries in the bag.

* * *

Sasuke walked into Team Seven's training grounds, ready to get some training in before lunch, but it seemed he was unable to because of the ravaged field and uprooted trees. Basically, the training ground was a mess. A flash of Sakura's conversation with Shikamaru went through his mind.

_"I was just about to train, and it would be pretty unfortunate if the ground underneath you suddenly collapsed or if a tree suddenly fell on you…"_

Sasuke sighed and got to work.

'_Annoying…'_

* * *

Sasuke wiped his brow as he scanned the area. Satisfied with his work, he gave a relieved sigh. However, now he was feeling a bit hungry. He decided to spare his tomatoes and was set on finding a place to eat. Walking through the village, his eyes landed on a looking café.

'_Isn't that the café that Sakura always talks about…?'_

Peering inside, he figured he could give it a try.

* * *

Leaving the café in a good mood, Sasuke had a bit of a spring in his step. They had tomato filled onigiri.

_Tomato_ filled _onigiri_.

Seeing as he was in such a good mood, he decided to do one of his least favorite things while the feeling lasted.

What is one of his least favorite things, you ask?

Chakra control.

Practicing chakra control inevitably meant walking up the Hokage Monument.

"_Did I mention that my chakra control is one of the best in Konoha?"_

Bewildered, Sasuke stumbled and fell a few feet before hastily regaining his balance.

'_What was that?'_

He shook his head.

'_I need to clear my head.'_

* * *

Sunlight streamed through the tall forest as Sasuke made his way through.

This was what he needed. A nice, calm, stroll away from the hustle and bustle of the village.

He had no idea what had been getting into him lately. Everywhere he went, he was reminded of Sakura.

But why?

Sasuke sighed and sat down on a rock, staring at the scenery before him. Colorful birds dotted the dull green of the trees.

'_Hm…Sakura always did like feeding the birds.' _He thought, a small grin on his face. It quickly turned into a confused frown.

He buried his face into his hands and he gave a frustrated cry.

The birds around him scattered.

* * *

After an hour, Sasuke decided to go home. He couldn't bear all of these overwhelming feelings.

He couldn't stand it.

Why was he feeling this way, damn it?

Sasuke punched a tree in frustration.

"Now Sasuke, what did the poor tree ever do to you?"

Sasuke looked up.

"Surprised to see me?" Iruka grinned.

Sasuke could only blink, confused. He hadn't seen much of his academy sensei since he graduated. What was he doing here?

"Still not much of a conversationalist, I see." Iruka joked. "Anyway, Sasuke, Tsunade-sama sent me to inform you that Team Seven is nearing the gates, although I don't have the faintest idea-"

Iruka blinked at the trail of dust in front of him.

* * *

Sasuke stood near the gates and waited.

He had no idea what he would say.

He had no idea what he would do.

Heck, why was he even here in the first place?

Sasuke took one last look at the gate and turned back, only to be tackled by something, nearly throwing him off of his balance. Instincts taking over, he grabbed a kunai and braced himself, only to find himself in an embrace. Looking down at pink hair, he quickly dropped his weapon.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura looked up at him, a big grin on her face. "I missed you! How about we go to that café I keep telling you about? I'm starving."

Sasuke blinked down at her, not replying. Slowly, he hesitantly put his arms around her. "…Aa."

The hugging couple didn't even notice her team's stares.

* * *

Back in the café, Sasuke happily ate his tomato filled onigiri while Sakura waited for her strawberry shortcake. Stealthily, Sakura stole one for herself, just as her cake arrived. Retaliating, Sasuke got a fork full of the cake and stuffed it into his mouth before realizing what he was doing. Chewing it slowly, he didn't think it was that bad. Across from him, Sakura happily munched on his onigiri, a smile on her face.

Outside the window, Sasuke sees his older cousin Obito chasing after a girl with short brown hair and purple markings on her face, and he thinks that maybe, things could change.

'_Just maybe…' _he thinks, a smile flickering onto his face as he watches Sakura animatedly talking about her mission.

_~Step 1; End~_

* * *

**A/N: Thank you guys so much for staying with me through this step. :) If you still haven't watched the series like a recommended, please do. Or at least the first video. I swear, if you love this, you'll love the video even more. Stay tuned for the next installment; Step 2: Cake Dance :)**


End file.
